Seams like Steam is doing pretty well for itself. The app stores are doing good as well. Games go on sale when they get old and the developers still get a cut instead of a third party store.

You're assuming whatever is cheapest for you is the best method. If developers don't make money they won't make games. And if they try to chase the cheapskates they will never catch them because they will just pirate games.

The old systems worked the way they did because that's all they could do, not because they were just really nice guys. People pirated mp3s because it was easy and free. When Itunes and others made legal mp3s easy most people were willing to pay for them. Make games easier to download and play, people will buy them too. Steam, Itunes, Play store, are all proof.

Steam is doing well for itself but that doesn't mean it is in the best interest of consumers or developers. For one they take a larger cut than the retailer and two pc piracy rates haven't changed since Steam. It doesn't stop piracy so why do you defend the system?

Game developers have to deal with heavy piracy on pc for single player games and that hasn't changed at all. On consoles piracy is already kept in check through bricking and the threat of a lost warranty.